Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Western European Security, Volume V, Part 2

PPS files, lot 65 D 101, “Chronological 1954”

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Policy Planning Staff (Bowie)

top secret

[London,] September 27, 1954.

Participants:

• Mr. Eden
• Mr. Caccia and Denis Allen (British Foreign Officer)
• Ambassador Aldrich
• Mr. Bowie

1. Ambassador Aldrich showed Mr. Eden the text of the attached cable¹ and said that Mr. Dulles wanted to be sure that Mr. Eden concurred in the cable insofar as it concerned him. Mr. Eden said he fully concurred.

2. Mr. Allen handed us a paper² which he said reflected the legal opinion of Mr. Fitzmorris, supplemented by the views of some of the people in the legal section of the Foreign Office. Mr. Eden said he had not seen the paper and after reading it he expressed some concern lest it give the wrong impression about his attitude. He said he wanted it made quite clear to the Secretary (a) that this was merely a statement of legal views and not a policy statement, and (b) that as far as he was concerned he favored the use of Chapter VI rather than Chapter VII but that he also favored the use of Chapter VII rather than nothing at all.

3. Mr. Eden said he was very pleased with the talk of last night.³ He said that he had talked today with Mendes-France and proposed to him an early meeting of the Four regarding German sovereignty in order to get work on that started. Mendes-France had told him there would be no difficulty on this since he agreed completely on the principle; there would be merely specific points to be worked out which he was satisfied could be done and could begin promptly.

4. Mendes-France also said he could see no reason for a long conference and thought it could be pushed to reach satisfactory conclusion in a few days. Mr. Eden said he hoped this was right; and, in effect, implied to Mendes-France that it depended on him. He had outlined his idea of the agenda and Mendes-France had not seemed entirely satisfied. The Ambassador told him that in his conversation with the Secretary, Mendes-France had expressed a desire to state his program as a whole rather than piece-meal.

5. Mr. Eden said that Mendes-France wanted Mr. Eden to make some introductory remarks along the lines of the agenda paper which we had agreed with them on the last trip to London. He inquired whether the Secretary was planning on a short statement. The Ambassador told him that he would have a 5-minute statement and thought this was a useful way to keep the press in line. Mr. Eden said he would notify the others of this procedure.

6. Mr. Eden said that on further reflection he was much taken with the ideas regarding the Arms Pool which had been discussed last night. He said he had talked today to Bech about the French proposal which Bech found unacceptable. Mr. Eden had told him that the Americans had some ideas on how this might be modified into a constructive proposal. He said that he thought Bech would be receptive. The Ambassador said that the Secretary planned to raise this with the talks with the Benelux this evening.

1. Under reference is telegram Dulte 2, Sept. 27; for text, see the compilation on China in volume xiv .
2. Not printed. A copy of this paper entitled “Quemoy”, is in file 794A.5/9–2754.
3. For a record of this Dulles–Eden meeting which occurred on the evening of Sept. 26, see the memorandum of conversation by Bowie, Sept. 27, p. 1275.